USA Hurricane rages in Florida - deaths and millions without power
Flooded streets, millions of people without power and the first fatalities: Hurricane Milton has made landfall on the west coast of the US state of Florida and caused damage - but the full extent is still unclear.
10.10.2024, 11:21
10.10.2024, 11:22
SDA
At the beginning, wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour were measured. In the meantime, however, the storm has weakened to the lowest level 1. However, the authorities are still warning of heavy rain, strong winds and the risk of flash flooding.
The hurricane reached the coast on Wednesday evening (local time) at category 3 of 5. In the early morning, the eye of the storm was located near the city of Orlando in central Florida. Firefighters and police had to seek shelter in buildings at times due to strong winds, according to the city administration. Residents were also instructed not to leave their homes.
According to the US hurricane center, "Milton" will pass over Florida in the coming hours at a maximum speed of around 150 kilometers per hour and continue to weaken over the Atlantic. In addition, between 200 and 350 liters of precipitation per square meter are expected in northern and central Florida, with up to 450 liters of rain in some areas.
Even US President Joe Biden had issued an urgent warning about the hurricane and therefore canceled his planned trip to Germany. Residents of affected areas should seek safety. In addition to extreme wind speeds, heavy rainfall and dangerous storm surges are expected, which could cause widespread flooding.
First confirmed deaths
According to media reports, the first deaths have now been confirmed. A tornado that hit St. Lucie County on the east coast of Florida before the storm arrived killed several people. According to a local sheriff, several people were killed in a trailer park for senior citizens. According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at least 19 tornadoes were confirmed on Wednesday. Damage was also reported.
According to initial reports, the region south of the city of Tampa on the west coast of the peninsula, which had already been classified as a high-risk area before the hurricane hit, was particularly affected. In the city of St. Petersburg, the city turned off the drinking water after a water pipe burst. Repairs were to begin as soon as it was safe for workers to do so. Around 260,000 people live in St. Petersburg.
The media also reported uprooted trees, toppled electricity pylons and flooding in several Florida cities. More than three million households in the state were without power, according to data from the website poweroutage.us. The authorities also reported that a crane on a construction site in St. Petersburg had toppled over. The roof of the Tropicana Field baseball stadium was also damaged.
The last storm was only two weeks ago
Two weeks ago, storm "Helene" had already caused severe damage in Florida and several other states. Well over 200 people lost their lives. Many of those affected in Florida had no time to recover from the destruction in view of the arrival of "Milton".
Meanwhile, German climate researcher Mojib Latif pointed to the increase in violent hurricanes over the past decade. "Overall, the destructive power of hurricanes has increased," said the meteorologist on Deutschlandfunk radio this morning. "This clearly has to do with the warming of the world's oceans." They have become very, very warm in recent years. "That took time, it happened faster on land, but now we're seeing the effects all over the world, including here in Europe."
Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. The hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June to the end of November.
